Sons delight Walton - The former UCLA and NBA star is proud of all four of his children.
CORKY SIMPSON - Tucson Citizen
He is one of the greatest basketball players in history, a Hall of Famer who in his college days led UCLA to two NCAA championships and back-to-back 30-0 seasons, then went on to a fabulous NBA career.
So does it bother him that when he walks past younger fans today they whisper, "There goes Luke Walton's dad"?
Not on your life.
"I'm not only the luckiest and happiest dad in the world, I'm the proudest," Bill Walton said yesterday at Catalina High School's gym. He was wearing a Luke Walton-Richard Jefferson Basketball Camp T-shirt.
Luke Walton, a former University of Arizona star who just completed his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers, was running the camp. Ex-UA star Jefferson of the New Jersey Nets is training for the Summer Olympics.
And Bill Walton was mingling with kids and parents, enjoying the camp more than anybody.
Now one of television's top basketball analysts, Walton has more than one son to be proud of - he has four.
"Chris is 22, a senior who plays at San Diego State," he said. "Luke is 24 and is with the Lakers. Nate is 26, and he's in Stanford graduate school. Adam, 28, was here last week helping with the camp."
To see the sport help boys become men "is a great privilege," Walton said. "And to see the happiness on these young campers' faces is another. We never had enough money when I was a kid for me to go to camp."
Bill, a 6-foot-11 center who recorded 1,590 assists in 10 seasons as a pro, saw Luke feed off for 113 as a Lakers rookie. Luke played in 72 games and averaged 1.6 assists and 2.4 points.
The ex-Wildcat Walton, at 6-8, has a talent for handling the ball and delivering it to the right place at the right time.
"He has had some great coaches," his father said. "The first was Greg Lee, my UCLA teammate, in our back yard. Jim Tomey was a great coach, too. He coached Luke's team at University High in San Diego.
"And then for Luke to come and play for Lute Olson - the man who brought water to the desert - was a blessing.
"Lute is the master teacher of this era. It is a testament to his legacy that he has turned out so many great players who were also great people, including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, Jason Gardner, Richard Jefferson ..."
And Luke Walton.
"Thank you," Bill said.
The senior Walton likes the chances of Team USA at the Summer Games in Athens.
"Basketball is always competitive because it is designed to allow underdogs to win," he said. "It's a game of timing and skill, but overwhelming talent does not always win. The best teamwork does."
Team Walton has done quite well for itself.